1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lamp socket, and more particularly, to lamp socket having a board supporting means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A backlight assembly of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, in general, is classified as either a direct illumination type backlight assembly or an edge illumination type backlight assembly, based on the location of the light source.
A conventional backlight assembly includes a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) as the light source. A direct illumination type backlight assembly having a CCFL includes a lamp socket to fix lamps on a bottom plate of a receiving container. In order to easily fix the lamps to the bottom plate, lamp sockets have been developed on the bottom plate to secure an electrode portion of the lamp to the lamp sockets.
A conventional lamp socket disclosed in U.S. Pub. No. 2009/0128734 on May 21, 2009 includes a socket housing, a contact member and a socket cover. The contact member electrically connects an inverter with a lead wire of the lamp and a golden finger of a circuit board. In an assembly process for the lamp socket, the contact member is inserted into a hole formed in the socket housing, the lead wire is inserted into a terminal of the contact member, and the circuit board is contacted to an elastic end of the contact member. The socket cover is inserted into the socket body to fix the lead wire of the lamp to the lamp socket. As the elastic end only supports on one side of the circuit board in mating region, the circuit board would easily swing in the housing and increase the discontact probability.
Another lamp socket disclosed in U.S. Pub. No. 2008/0106900 on May 8, 2008 includes an improved contact member with an elastic end enclosed in a unitary frame, which can limit the move distance of the circuit board. US. Pub. No. 2007/0286629 on Dec. 13, 2007 also includes a lamp socket having a pair of elastic ends for holding a circuit board so that the contact stability of the lamp socket can be enhanced. However, both of the contact members in the prior arts have complicate manufacturing and assembling process.
In view of the above, an improved lamp socket that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages is desired.